"In the end, what we regret most are the chances we never took." - Frasier Crane

Wanderers, Dreamers and Lovers

2010-05-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, it sure has been a while since I've updated my blog. My goal was to have a continuous flow of pictures to share my adventures and life happenings with everyone but that seemed to fade when I moved to a full time position then had my camera break not too long after. I started to feel more tied down. As though I had no new adventure to blog or post about and if I did, how was I going to show you all without a camera of my own? I've come to realize that much happened in my life regardless of how many days off I had and whether or not someone there to catch it on "digital film".

With that said, let me share with you something that was passed along to me. The following paragraph feels as if someone walked into my head, saw I was confused and feeling unrelated to, then in words explained.........me.

Wanderers, Dreamers, and Lovers

"Some people do not have to search, for they find their niche easily in life and rest there seemingly contented and resigned. At times I envy them, but usually I do not understand... and seldom do they understand me. I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we completely content. We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. We continue to explore ourselves hoping to understand. We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power and unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests, mountains, deserts, hidden rivers and lovely cities as well. Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as our laughter; to share our sadness with the ones we love is perhaps as great a joy as we know. Unless it is to share our laughter. We searchers are ambitious but only for life itself and anything beautiful it can provide. Most of all, we want to love and be loved, to live in a relationship that will not impede our wanderings and prevail our search. We do not want to prove ourselves to others or compete for love. This passage is for wanderers, dreamers, and lovers who dare to ask of life, everything which is good and beautiful."

I've read this over and over then emailed it to everyone I felt would have a conecction to the words. I have found a serenity in these words, "I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we completely content. We continue to explore life...[and] ourselves....We are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power and unceasing motion...we like forests, mountains, deserts, hidden rivers and lovely cities as well."

Perhaps those words can give some sort of understanding to my friends and family feeling left behind by my leaving. I have sadening thoughts knowing I chose to seperate myself with so many miles from those that have done nothing but love me. I hope they see why I continue to search. I search for more insight to life and the beauty our world has to offer. I search because I want to see all that I can. I search because I was born a searcher.

"Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as our laughter; to share our sadness with the ones we love is perhaps as great a joy as we know. Unless it is to share our laughter." These two sentences also struck me. This couldn't be more true. To be sad and to share your sadness is to let down your walls and to let someone in. Those priveldged enough know the feeling of sharing sadness have, I believe, found happiness.

So here's to all the wanderers, dreamers and lovers, those that "dare to ask of life". Cheers to you!

2008-08-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

SUMMER OF FUN...

I know it has been quite some time since I have updated my blog. A ton has been going on, so I'm just going to dive right in.

Here goes...
Since I've updated last I've taken on a new position with the mountain, welcomed the summer season (a HUGE, WARM welcome), and watched my close friend, whom is one of the main reasons why I was so fortunate to live in this great place, move back to GA.

Just before my off season trip to California, my supervisor announced his leaving. This meant there would be an opening for a full time Front Desk Supervisor/Concierge position. Although a full time job wasn't what I wanted to get into, it would give me the chance to meet new people, make connections with vendors, and give me a change while working for the mountain. After some thought, I decided to take the position. I've shocked many people by telling them I'm on salary and let someone else determine my days off but at the end of the day, I enjoy what I do (for the most part :) ) and the people I work with. That counts for something right?

In the meantime, the warm weather began to come and linger a little longer each day. We all, the town and tourists included, took advantage. We were ready for the new adventures that would come with snow melting and prepared for another BUSY season in the wonderful world of hospitality. When I wasn't working, I was playing. Although the snow hung on a little longer than last summer due to our EPIC/RECORD BREAKING winter, we didn't let that slow us down. We began floating as soon as the water wasn't at hypothermia-causing levels, hiked as far up as we could before we were buried knee deep in snow, cooked out, and did just about anything that would get us outside period. With that said, here a few pictures of our summertime fun....

Here me, Ali, and Tori took advantage of the Teton Park Road still being closed to vehicles and our first bit of warm weather (yes believe it or not, it was warm that day). We took the bikes into the park and completed a 30 mile ride.
In this picture we are standing in front of Jenny Lake. Yes that is a lake....it's just frozen! Did I mention it was a long, cold winter?

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These next few pictures are of the cute baby foxes that started to peak out when the snow finished melting. This is right across the street from our place and began to be a "hot spot" for animal watchers and photographers. Playful little guys!...

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This is Megan, Rachael, me, Melissa, Granger, and Jennifer grabbing dinner at one of our favorite spots, Teton Thai, for a girls night out. This is a popular place in the summer. It has a great atmosphere, good music, delicious food, and outside seating. There's actually no inside other than the kitchen. Any given night there is a wait, it's just that good!

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Another girls night out.
Since you don't really "dress up" in Jackson (ie: heels, black dresses, etc), Katie (on the left) decided to theme her birthday celebration with the opening of the Sex and the City Movie. We brought "the city" to Jackson....we filled the streets and entire movie theater that night - heels and all!
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Megan and I enjoying an annual Crawfish Broil hosted by some of the Louisiana boys...

...then enjoying a fair that came through town. Still just a little bit chilly!

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On to the hiking!!!!!

This is me, Tori, and Jennifer on a hike in the Teton National Forest. We headed up one of the canyons to see how far we could go before the snow made us turn back. The Grand is in the background but the tip is covered by a cloud.

Sitting in the Lupine Meadows covered in snow surrounded by the Tetons. AMAZING!

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This particular trip was to celebrate a good friend of ours birthday. His girlfriend had planned a surprise camping trip for him. Here we are getting ready to head out to meet up with everyone.

We camped inside the Teton National Forest at Leigh Lake.

Our view of Mt. Moran!

Some of the wildlife along the way.
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This hike coming up had to be one of my favorites, maybe even ever. The wildflowers were amazing! This is on my way to Blue Miner Lake in the Gros Ventre Mountain Range.

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A day at the Jackson Lake in the park.
The water was freezing! I unsuccessfully attempted wake boarding for the millionth time...in a wet suit. The air was nice but the water was cold. You don't see a background like that at Lake Alatoona...or water for that matter.

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Road Trip to Denver for the Mile High Music Festival.
We went down for a weekend full of music!

Tori, Katie, Megan, Jennifer, and I

The only bad thing about this weekend was knowing it was Megan's last one with us. :(
and the fact a rock cracked the windshield of my new car....
oh well, it's pretty much standard for every car out here.

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Saying "bye" to Megan with a bang!
Her last week was filled with cookout's, friends, and adventures. She was running out of time to check stuff off her "To Do In Jackson Before I Leave" List. Her number 1 happened to be paragliding, so, as a gift, a bunch of us pitched in to pay for her go. The only way she would do it was if we would too. Rach decided to wait until her parents got into town and to watch us from below while Tori and I headed up the Gondola with Megan to jump off. It was a neat experience.
My guide was very interesting, he described the "waves" of the wind like the waves of an ocean. Just like surfers read the water, he read the wind. Fascinating.

We hiked down the mountain a little ways then were the only directions we were given was to start running when they said, "Start running". At that moment you run as fast as you can down the mountain until you just aren't touching ground anymore because the wind picked you up. From then on you feel like you are floating....or well, flying. Really incredible.

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So that's it, or some of it a least, for now.

It has been a summer of fun and a summer of change. Some of it good and some of it challenging. The biggest change and challenge of all was having Megan move back to GA. It was hard losing someone you share so much time and experiences with. Thankfully I still have Tori and Rachael!

All in all I'm still enjoying this amazing place and finding out a lot about me. I miss so much about home but just can't imagine heading back just yet. There is still a few more things I want to accomplish and discover first. I hope that all of you are enjoying these pictures and some of what I've been able to experience. I love and miss you.

California Baby!

2008-05-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

You know me....I can't sit still for long. A cross country trip in Nov just wasn't enough. Because Jackson is catered to tourists, when they quit coming, the town goes quiet.....perfect timing for the locals to get out. That's exactly what Rach and I decided to do. Megan and Tori went home to GA while Rach and I decided to head in the opposite direction.

Hmmmm, where haven't I been yet? CALIFORNIA. What more could you want? The beach, neat towns, hills, green, warm, islands, hiking, sleeping outside, national parks, ocean; it was perfect! While the snow kept coming, we began to put together our escape. We decided that in 8 days we were going to check out Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, coast camp on the bluffs of Carlsbad in southern CA, hike and camp on Santa Cruz Island (Island 2 of the Channel Islands just off the cost of Ventura), then head to Yosemite to finish the trip off with more hiking.

With that said, here is a little taste of what we did! ...

First stop, Lake Mead... We found a spot to stay for the night to rest up for our trip through Hoover Dam and Vegas!

Hoover Dam

If you look close you can see how low the water was.

Destination 1: Carlsbad, California

Here we took the bikes out and explored the nearby towns. We camped here 2 nights. Despite the rain on the first day we were able to enjoy amazing beach bluff scenery, cute surfers, beautiful sunsets, and the sound of the ocean!

So maybe we were a little upset with the cold weather when we woke up..... we were hoping for something a little warmer!

On the road again. This Orange County, most famous for its reality tv shows featuring a beautiful place with, for lack of a better word, interesting people.

Next stop: Huntington Beach...

This day was full of people watching, sun bathing/burning, and resting. Despite the horrible sun poisoning Rach and I got due to the fact our skin hadn't seen sun in months, it ended up being a great day.

I decided to get in the water.....

It was FREEZING!!!!!!

Burning as we speak!

On to our next destination: Santa Cruz Island, #2 of the Channel Islands

We took the ferry out to the island.

and saw Humpback Whales!!! My first whale experience. It was amazing. It was a mother with a baby and they really put on a great show complete with tale flops, flips out of the water, and plenty of shots of them coming up for air.

Once we were on the island, we set up camp at our reserved sight and headed off to explore the island. Santa Cruz island was BEAUTIFUL. It was covered in grassy fields and high rock cliffs over looking emerald blue water. You could see for miles out. It was a neat feeling knowing that you were surrounded by these cliffs and the pacific.

Next stop: Yosemite

We really didn't have a certain time to get there so we explored along the way. We took the coastal highway all the way up CA and enjoyed scenery like this below all along the way.

The most AMAZING taco's EVER!!!! Served straight from this truck in some random parking lot in LA. It was DELICIOUS! It doesn't quit beat the burrito I had in Encintas our first day camping in CA, but it was a good second place!

On to Yosemite!

Here we stayed at a climbers camp because it was cheap and far away from the RVer's.

This is the first hike that we did. It was straight up but offered great views of Yosemite Falls. Half the hike was closed off but after discussing this with people who had done the hike, we decided to take our chances and venture past the gates. Although we were hiking through snow, we did make it pretty far. However, right before we reached the top our trail ended, the snow got deeper, and the falls looked steeper so we reluctantly turned back.

The next day we ended up meeting up with a photographer that introduced us to a hike that essentially gave us a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley from amazing angles and different elevations. This is a beautiful place!!!

Darn it..... It's time to go home!

I hope that you enjoy these pictures and are somewhat inspired to pick that place you've never been to but always wanted to visit and make it a reality. You only live once and you're not getting any younger.....remember, "life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing".

Finishing Up The Winter......maybe

2008-05-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our Mountain is closing....April 6th. Time to shut her down until next year, but not without a few parties along the way. This is April Fool's Day.....excuse me, Gaper Fool's Day.

For those wondering a Gaper is what the locals call a tourist, those people that aren't paying attention and always looking around. On today, everybody dresses up and well, pretty much anything goes. People skied into people, off of things, and were creative with what they skied on.

Check out the outfits. The best way to describe it is to tell you to picture an exaggerated 80's/90's halloween party.....on snow.

Check out the onesies......

So there were people in costumes, skirts, tights, underwear, and nothing at all.....skiing.

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Targhee's last day, week after our mountain closed. Tori, Megan, and few of our friends headed over the pass to finish out the season of skiing with Targhee.

Tori, Dick, Justin, and Megan.....and the back side of the Teton's

Tori and Megan

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The snow started to melt and the sun started to make it's way out.

Here Rachael and I decided to take our new bikes into Yellowstone to get some riding time in before they open the road to vehicles.

Amy (Jay's roomate), Jay, Rachael, and me

Rach and me

There she is, my new bike

....this is to show you how much snow was still out there. It's going to be awhile before that starts melting.

So, stay tuned because there is a TON more to come.

Love everyone!

So Much To Say......

2008-03-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Time to catch up......

So, first I had family come into town. It was awesome! I was able to give them a taste of what life is like in Jackson. We went by my work, our place, and met all my room mates. We also, took a ride up the Gondola where we had a great lunch and enjoyed an AMAZING day

with good views. Top of the Gondola with Sonny and Karen

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Just another day at home......

There's no grass to cut - only decks to shovel. Winter in Jackson is definitely a little different then winter back home! I can't say that I've ever had to regularly shovel

snow off a deck...until now.

This is a view from our deck of the parking behind our place. The pile of snow from the plows and us shoveling almost reaches the side of our deck. A few times this winter we could have walked right off the side onto the snow.....now we would have to jump! :)

A view of the mountains from our deck! I cannot wait until the summer time!!!!!!

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Rachael's family came for a visit!!!!! What a week!

Us posing with a stuffed Buffalo in town square. We just finished an amazing dinner at the Snake River Grill. Good company, good food, and a lot of good times!!!!!

Me, Jay, and Rach. Jay also joined us for dinner. He's just one of the many interesting and fun people we've been so fortunate to meet here.

SNOWMOBILING ADVENTURE.....and what an adventure it was.

Rachael's family, Rachael, Tori, Megan, Justin, and I took at trip to Grey's River. We saw AMAZING scenery and the experience was one of a kind. I think the experience for the tour guide was one of a kind as well......by the end of the trip we had 3 people fall off the back, a girl drive off a cliff, and a lady crash run into a parked snowmobile. CRAZY. Thankfully no one was hurt but this was definitely an adventure/trip that will be remembered!

These pictures were taken at a ranch where we stopped for lunch. As part of the trip, a lunch is provided at the ranch which, in the winter, can only be reached by snowmobile. They offered burgers, chili, grilled cheese.....it was delicious and a great time to reflect on the trip so far.

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Rach, Megan, me, and Tori "modeling" the equipment......look for us in the next issue of Jackson Hole Snowmobiling!

We make this look good!

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This was my machine and just one of the many scenic spots along the way!

Rach and I

The crew.......

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Overall, the trip was incredible!! Grey's River is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've been this winter! The scenery was breathtaking and almost surreal in some spots. It's experiences like this that make being out here worth it. Living out here is definitely challenging and a struggle in so many ways but no matter how tough things get, when I look around I can't help but think that I am the fortunate one. You can't put on a price tag on what I've seen and done, you just can't. I can't wait for more people to come out here and experience some of this place!

I love you and miss you!!!!

Life This Week...

2008-02-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

So to make a little extra money a few of us, inlcuding my roommates, decided to "work" for Chevy. We received an email saying that chevy would be in town for a few days doing some promo stuff and needed people to work for them. Money?... What?... I'M IN!

The job entailed wearing horrendous/homeless looking outfits not flattering in any way (seeing as how they were made for males making them several sizes to large) and surveying people on the mountain. Once you got over being the person that everyone was trying to dodge it actually wasn't that bad. At least not for me. I worked on Monday which ended up being a beautiful day!! Not to mention I was able to be on the mountain....we all know when the last time that was....... Anyway, it was a great day and making money on the side wasn't too bad either. Here are a few pictures I took.

This is Laura and I standing at the top of the Gondola "working". Yes, this is what we had to wear...no wonder people hid when they saw us coming.

This is a view of a couple slopes from the top of the Gondola.

I cropped this picture to try and give you a better view of the slopes. Apparently the bottom lift is Thunder, the middle lift is Sublet, and the top lift is East Ridge.

You can also see Corbet's. It's that dip with a narrow line of snow between rock just below East Ridge.

Man, I really did fall too early. My roommates have been all over those lifts and the stories are amazing. Unfortunately what you see here is the closest I'll get. It is a beautiful sight though!

A better view of Corbet's!

I'll keep the pictures coming!! Love everyone and hope that things are going well. Miss you.

Did I mention I have the best roommates EVER!!!!

2008-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

This was my "WELCOME HOME" from my amazing roommates! They are awesome! That night consisted of.....Merry Piglets mexican food (yum, our favorite), CHRISTMAS PRESENTS :) , cake, balloons, and my roomies!! It was so great to be back!

Catching Up

2008-02-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to update everyone, I've been trying to get settled in since I've been back. Here's a little taste of what's been going on: After a long day of traveling I finally got into Jackson around 6:30 Jan 30 and my wonderful rooommates came to pick me up!! We went to eat at our favorite restaurant (mexican that is super cheap) then home to have my Christmas since my presents arrived in Jackson the day after I left. My gifts were great and it was so good to finally see what I had gotten.....

My roomates also enjoyed Christmas for a second time thanks to my mom. There were really excited!

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As for getting back into a routine and life goes, I've pretty much been working as much as I can. On my days off I catch up on things or head to the gym for some physical therapy. Thanks to Megan I've been able to pick up a few babysitting jobs as well. I am truly glad to be back but at the same time it is hard. I came back to snow everywhere! There is a mound of snow behind our place that almost reaches our deck and in some spots you can't see the front of our house. It is so beautiful but so hard for me to enjoy it. One of the main reasons I love Jackson is how active the town is. It fits my lifestyle so well, or at least the kind of lifestyle that I want to live, and brings new challenges physically and mentally. But lately it seems like all this snow is somewhat of a hindrance. When I am staying busy with work it isn't so bad and I find myself being able to make excuses as to why I can't be outside. It is a different story on my days off. I want so badly to be able to head to the mountain with my roommates, to be able to join in on their stories and experiences, to be able to call my friends and family to share with them a new adventure, or to be able to accept the invites to try a new winter sport. But right now I just physically can't. I dislike the fact that I can't physically enjoy what this place has to offer. Thankfully I am surrounded by positive people that make the hard days a little easier. I know that I'll get stronger and come summer I'll be hiking every mountain I wish I could have skied. Until then we are going to have one clean house!!

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Since you can't enjoy my pictures right now, here are a couple that I borrowed from my roommates and some of their experiences.

Megan, a friend Jon, Tori and Rachael enjoying a day on the slopes.

Click here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zwUBMrRbSo

This is Megan, Tori, and Rach standing under Corbet's Couloir.

People jump from up there...crazy!!

Wait, now that I think about it I might just have to start telling people that is where my injury came from.....it makes for a better story then the Cat Track.

A picture of Jon skiing. Isn't our mountain beautiful!! This is why people risk skiing!

"Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing."

Before I go I just want to say thank you so much for a wonderful Christmas and for all of your support!! I hope that through these blogs you are able to see why I chose to live and experience this place even though I've had some difficulties and it is so far away from you all. No matter what I love you and am thankful to have such wonderful people in my life.

Update

2008-01-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

It has been almost a month since I had my knee surgery and I just wanted to update everyone on how things were going.

Remember Week 1.

"DON'T MOVE ME!"

I knew that it was going to be a long road ahead.

Week 2.

"GET ME OUT OF THIS CHAIR AND GET ME OUT OF THIS HOUSE!"

Up and around but still on crutches. At this point I was ready to start physical

therapy and was waiting to see my doctor. I was ready for just about anything that would get me out of that chair and sitting inside all day.

Week 3.

"CAN I START RUNNING YET?!"

I had started physical therapy and was down to just 1 crutch. At this point I was ready to burn the things!

Week 4.

"I'M READY TO GO!"

NO CRUTCHES and I am getting my leg strength back. This is how I practice balance and building strength...."up with the bad, down with the good". Believe me, it's harder then you think!

Now that I can get around better I went ahead and booked my flight back to Jackson for 30th of this month! I can't wait. I'm ready to get back to work and back with my roomates. I will continue therapy on my own at that point.

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Meanwhile, back in Jackson.....

Rach and Megan made sure to include me on New Year's Eve. This is them wishing me a Happy New Year Georgia time. Love them!

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Tori and Rach's Teton National Park snowshoeing adventure...

Rach's snow angel....

Tori's snow angel....

Tori took off her snowshoes to see just how deep it really was.....knee deep!

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I can't wait to get back to my girls!

So, turns out I'm not a great skier......oops!

2008-01-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been a while since I've updated everyone on things, but here goes....

So, I am back in Georgia for now. I had a little spill while skiing and, of course, ended up tearing my ACL and Meniscus in my left knee. I always go big! I had to fly back to Georgia for surgery and some rehabilitation. I'm hoping to head back before the end of Jan and continue life in Jackson, but for now here's what you missed...

This is Casey and I at the top of the Gondola. This was taken probably an hour before I was carried down the mountain on a sled by ski patrol. Just so you know, I never, ever want to ride behind one of those things again and as if that wasn't bad enough, the guy from patrol wasn't even cute...bummer!

Back to Casey, I was skiing with her and her fiance Dick. I'm not sure how far we'd gone before I fell but I did get some great views and REALLY enjoyed the skiing. It was such a beautiful day! As for the fall, I think that I hit some ice where another run was intersecting what I was on and it twisted my ski. So, for all of you that think I can't ski and probably just lost all control and snowballed down the mountain, I'll have you know I felt the pop in my knee before I even hit the ground. All that other stuff happened after that.

I spent the rest of that beautiful day in the emergency clinic on the mountain then at home cringing every time I moved trying to tell myself and my roomates that it wasn't all that bad.

But as soon as I woke up the next day I knew that I was going home and had to make the dreaded call to mom and dad who were just getting used to no kids. :( With the help of work and friends I made it home 4 days later without having to rob a bank.

Those last 4 days........

We had planned to cut down our own Christmas tree but because of my little "incident" we weren't able to go. I was so bummed. I've never had a real Christmas tree before much less gone and cut one down from a national forest (don't worry, you go get a permit and they tell you where to go) and was really looking forward to the whole process. But, with the help of a good friend Dave, Tori cut one down and surprised us with it. It was perfect!

So, here we are decorating the tree with ornaments that Tori's grandparents sent. EXCITING!!!!

Rach got to put on the star!

Us with our tree!!!! :)

TA DA! Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

Other than decorating our tree, this is what I did......

Layed there! Rach played mom and took care of me while Tori worked. I was pretty useless. Who knew that just about everything on your body is attached to your knee. She was amazing though and so patient! Thanks Rach!!! I couldn't have done anything without you and I mean anything!

Yep, I'm going home. :(

This is Megan, Tori, me, and Rach on my last night in town. We, along with several other JHRL employees, were invited to dine at an Italian restaurant close to where we work. It was great! I love our job and the perks that go along with it. They just kept bringing us dishes to sample. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good!

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Back at home....

Having done this knee thing once before I knew that I would be sitting on my rear-end an awful lot, so I decided to make the best of it. Home work out videos! If I can't ski down on my feet, I'll use my arms!

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As for Christmas.....

I ended up spending the holidays with family after all. Too bad all of my presents weren't able to join me. My awesome family mailed my presents to me before my injury and of course they arrived the day after I left. Don't worry, they are sitting under our tree waiting on me to get back. My roomates are leaving everything up until I get back then we are having Christmas...again....oh yeah! I cannot wait.

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Surgery Time!

Waiting with my papa to get called back.

Hmmmm, I don't remember this one but it looks like they finished.....watch out Miss America, I'm in town. Yikes!

Back at home. This was where I stayed for the next 3 days. I HATE SITTING!!! I did pick up a liking for some Guitar Hero thanks to my friend Cathy. I'll never be as good as her but it helped pass the time. ha ha ha

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It's been 5 days since surgery and already I am a doing a million times better! I'm still on crutches though. I'll be on those a little longer. I meet with the doctor in 2 days to find out when I start physical therapy, where I go from here, and to receive my lecture for wanting to return to Jackson so soon. They haven't given me a recovery time but having done this before I know that it will take some time. I'll pretty much be out of commission for the season. As for traveling, I plan on heading back before the end of the month to start working again and live in the place I am still paying for. That is my goal but ultimately my decision will be based on whether or not I can walk, there's lots of ice out there and, well, we all know my luck.

Now that I can get around a little better I'll get back to updating everyone. Thanks for all of the warm thoughts and sweet cards. I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and great start to 2008!!!! Love you all!

A Week of Adventures....

2007-12-03T07:33:00.001-08:00

I almost forgot to add in Joseph and his Thanksgiving contribution to my blog. While at Robbie's before our dinner, we were able to witness the cleaning of geese and duck. Hmmmm. They had gone hunting that morning and wanted to have a variety of meat for dinner.

Sad! Don't worry dad, I am getting better with this kind of stuff.

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November 27...Happy Birthday Rach!

Happy Birthday dear Rachael, happy birthday to you!!!!! YEAH!!!

Fun Fetti Cake........yummmmmm!

Getting ready to go out for Rach's birthday, and of course we had to do a funny pose......

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Now, what you've all been waiting for.....Jenny on Ski's.

YIKES!!

Me, Travis, and Megan headed across the pass into Idaho to ski Targhee. Our mountain wasn't open yet and we were anxious to try out the ski's.

Megan and I before disaster struck! She had no idea what she was getting in to.

After a couple of embarrasing runs on the kids slope, I managed to get up enough courage to ride the lift up to a couple of greens. Man those are steep!

Recorded Fall 1......

As if it wasn't bad enough that I fell getting of the ski lift, once I got up I couldn't stop myself after going around the turn to the runs. Thank goodness for the huge mound of snow that I apparently couldn't miss, it stopped me.

Recorded Fall 2........

I almost made it to Travis. Had I picked up more speed, I could have just slid right to him.

So it turns out that turning over is a lot harder then you think. Here Travis is telling me how to get up....I mean this is me posing for the local ski magazine under the article "Top 10 Best Skiers"

Almost Recorded Fall 3....

Travis, Jen, Megan, and I attempting to pose for a picture.

Recorded Fall 3.....

After the group picture I slid backwards into sleds that help get people off the mountain in emergencies. Somehow I managed to slide right in between them and got stuck. I couldn't get out, Jen had to pull my ski's out for me. Didn't know I had such good skills did you!? I must have fallen 20 times up there. It was a really fun day though and thank goodness I had Megan. She has to be the most understanding and patient person in the world. Not to worry though, I WILL be the BEST skier EVER before I leave! I just know it! Love you guys and miss you!

Thanksgiving In Jackson

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Monday Nov 19th was our first Thanksgiving dinner. We ate at Justin's. Friends were going out of town so we decided to have an early dinner so that we could all celebrate together. We made everything ourselves and everybody brought a dish. It was great!Megan and Tori cooking.... the start to our first Thanksgiving.

Justin getting the fire started...so cozy!

Rach did the turkey. It was her first one and she did such a great job! Even Robbie in the background was immpressed.

Megan was making squash casserole with her family's recipe. It was sooo good!!!

Martha Stewart would be proud.....

Look at what we did. Our families should be impressed!

Getting ready to say the blessing....now let's eat!!!

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Nov 22, Thanksgiving Day

The four of us headed over to Robbie's to hang out before dinner. We had plans to eat at our bosses house but enjoyed hanging out at Robbie's before hand. We played bocci ball, watched some football and helped them with some of their cooking. His parents came in to town so they had a big turnout for their dinner.

P.S Again, this is our everyday view!!! AMAZING!

Good Friends!

Us girls!!! There aren't too many in Jackson so we have to stick together!! :)

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It's getting close to 4pm...time to head to dinner.
We had dinner with our family from work. Amy did everything herself. It was amazing!!

Amy and Mike

The boys cleaning up after dinner. WOW!!!!

Ugh...I think I ate way too much!

Tori and Megan fell asleep after dinner. Too funny. The next day was Megan's birthday, so while they were snoozing Rach and I snuck out to.....

...decorate Megan's desk at work. She had no idea!!!

After being party poopers and falling asleep on the couch we decided to head back to the mansion Megan is housesitting and hang out in the hot tub. I think it was in the teens that night. It was so cold outside but was a nice ending to the day.

Before passing out for the evening we hung out in robes and watched CABLE TV. So nice.

A great day!

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Although I wasn't with my immediate family for Thanksgiving, it still felt complete because I was with my family here. We all had each other and enjoyed the excitment of starting new traditions.

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Nov 23 MEGAN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!

The office bought a cake and oh look, it's GA colors!

After work we decided to go out and celebrate Megan's birthday but not before we enjoyed some fun music at the house. Yep, this is Megan showing her moves! And she says she can't dance! I disagree! :) Look at that BGR Meg!

We made one big card for everyone that came in to sign.

The Girls. Happy Birthday Megan!

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Here's us at home.....

They had to talk me through putting my boots on. Thank goodness for my roomies! It's going to be a long winter!

The reason why rent will be hard to make this month!!!!.........We bought ski's.

A Few More Pictures

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Playing Bocci Ball during half time. See the mountains? There are views like this everywhere, they just surround you.

Chapman, The Tennessee Fan paying his debt for betting against GA during GA vs. Auburn. That vest looks nice on him!

Tori and I getting ready for the hot tube at The Mansion.

Us in front of our top of the line, never before been used, faded pink, velvet couch! Don't be jealous. Tori just chopped off my hair and straightened it. I have my own personal hairstylist.

Making our lunch for work tomorrow in our HUGE kitchen!

This is our place. We are the unit on the left with the bikes out front. Come visit!

More snow pictures from our first snow day.

A friend Bobby just cooked us dinner...steaks, broccli, and these amazing potatos! So good.

Hanging out with everybody at Chapman's! So good to be back!

Watch out Jackson!!!! :)

So far the first two weeks have been great. We have finally settled in. Tori and I have started work for Jackson Hole Resort Lodging, the same place I worked this summer. Rachael starts at the end of the month. Things are a little slow here right now but only because it is considered the off season. Most people are off traveling or visiting family. I can't wait for things to pick up in the next few weeks and see what this town turns in to when the mountain opens. It will bring new people, new experiences, and new adventures. I'll keep you all posted!

I miss everyone and wish that I could have all of you here.

The First Week!

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Our first week in our new home. New roomates, new place, and new experiences!

Megan, Me, Rachael, and Tori hanging out at Dave's. Getting ready for a great dinner out! I love these girls.

The Roomates! Me, Tori, and Rachael.

The Mansion that we stayed in out 3rd night here. Megan was house sitting and we came to visit. I couldn't even get the whole house in the picture!

A Jackson sunrise!

This is how we keep warm for the winter....Chopping wood at Chapman's during half time of the GA game.

Nov 11. Our first snow. Tori and I started playtime at 8am. We couldn't wait!

Our street!

Our first snowman. :)

Oops! I guess we'll have to make another one.

And we're off....!

2007-11-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

MOOCHING WEST!!!! JACKSON OR BUST!

Nov 1, 2007: The start of our adventure west! We finished packing/craming the last of what would fit at 2:15am. The alarm went off at 5:45 and by 6:30 we were passing through downtown saying our last goodbye's. Ready to start Day 1!

Man was she packed!

Which road do we take again? Hmmmm...

3 states down! We're getting closer!!!

Having a little fun on the road with some good music!

Mooch Stop Number 1! Miya's, a highschool friend, in Dallas Texas. We stayed there for the first night. Here we are saying goodbye at 6am and getting ready for Day 2!

Mooch Stop Number 2 and the end of day 2...somewhere near Gallop New Mexico, recommended by the nice visitor center man. We drove 14 1/2 hours from Dallas then camped outside of AZ so we could hit the Petrified Forest the next morning. The end to a long day on the road. This was our first of 3 nights camping. Next stop....

Day 3

THE PETRIFIED FOREST AND THE GRAND CANYON!!!Waiting on the park to open.

These were some of the views from in the park. This was the Painted Desert.

Next stop...The Grand Canyon!

Despite some camera issues :( we still had a great time!

Dinner each night of camping was cold soup. I've never eaten anything so delicious! This was the highlight of each night. Thanks mom!

Getting ready for bed. We had to stay warm.

Sleeping any way you can. The end of a good day.

Day 4!

Getting out of bed to watch the sun rise at Lake Powell in Glen Canyon.

Sunrise....

Lake Powell

Rach paying her speeding ticket in Kanab Utah. We didn't know Fiona (the car) could go that fast! We also didn't know that we were in Utah until the police officer walked up with a Utah State Patrol Badge....welcome to Utah.

Zion National Park.....One of my absolute favorite places!

The only way I can describe this place is by saying The Land Before Time. I think the movie was inspired by the scenery here!

The start of our hike to Angel's Landing.

We hiked that! It was straight down on each side.

View from the top.

What a good day! On to the next stop....

Kolob Canyons

Making good use of their facilities and getting ready for bed.

Another great sunset. Getting ready for Day 5!

Day 5. Driving through Cedar Breaks on the way to Bryce Canyon and to visit Jamie in Duchsene Utah.

Great views but Fiona was struggling with the climb to 10,000 elevation.

Welcome to Bryce!The Queen in Queen's Garden

Slot canyons on the Wallstreet hike.

What a hike. It was a combination of amazing scenery and beautiful, bright colors. I can't begin to describe the gold and orange colors coming from the rock as the sun hit them. You have to see it for yourself.

Next stop...Jamie's!!!

Jamie has dred's! So much fun hanging out!

The last Mooch Stop on Day 5. This is a few of the people that work on the fire crew with him. We had beds and showers and these amazing people cooked us warm food! We ate so much we couldn't move. It was a good end to our last night of the road trip. Next stop Jackson Hole WY....HOME!

Our daily ritual, keeping track of everything we've been so fortunate to see and do!

We finally made it. Thanks to Megan everyone came to welcome us home. We cooked out and introduced Rachael to everyone. If feels good to be back and be surrounded by so many unique and fun people.

Welcome to Jackson!

Thank you so much to everyone that helped us make it out here. I hope that you enjoy the pictures and some of the places that we have been. Keep checking the blog because I will definitely keep everyone updated! Thanks for your support, I love and miss all of you.